Question: What did I want to find out?
Which blood sugar meter is most accurate in measuring blood sugar levels.

Hypothesis: What do I think?
I think the Dex blood sugar meter will be the most accurate because it only uses the plasma in blood to test for blood sugar but all the others use whole blood.

List of materials needed:

Four different blood sugar meters and test strips
Dex, AccuChek, FreeStyle, and One Touch meters

One finger poker to get blood samples

Logbook to record test results for each meter

Results of two separate blood tests called an A1c test

Procedure:

I get a special blood test called an A1c at the doctor's office.

When I first wake up each morning I poke my finger to get a blood sample.

I put a drop of blood on the strips used in each meter and test my blood. I tested on all four meters.

I record all four blood sugar readings in the logbook.

I do the same thing (Steps 2-4) all over again each night before I go to bed.

I test a total of eighteen times on each meter and then get another A1c test at the doctor's office.

The meter whose A1c average is closest to the A1c tests that I had at the doctor's office would be the most accurate.

Results: What actually happened?
The Dex meter came closet to both of the A1c tests that I had at the doctor's office. My A1c's were 6.9% and 7.2%. The Dex had an average of 7.6%. The other meters averaged 8.5%, 9.1%, and 9.3% which isn't very close at all.

Conclusions: What did I learn?
I learned the Dex meter is the most accurate of all the meters that I tested. I'm happy that the Dex is the most accurate because I have been using a Dex meter to check my blood sugar for almost two years now.

Supporting Data

Date

Dex

AccuChek

One Touch

FreeStyle

3/10/01 PM

107

113

140

135

3/11/01 AM

141

167

165

182

3/11/01 PM

194

232

226

257

3/12/01 AM

144

155

220

167

3/12/01 PM

94

103

117

107

3/13/01 AM

206

208

221

223

3/13/01 PM

184

201

194

204

3/14/01 AM

145

181

172

168

3/14/01 PM

128

142

171

147

3/15/01 AM

75

91

88

99

3/15/01 PM

69

78

65

82

3/16/01 AM

127

142

144

136

3/16/01 PM

61

63

58

84

3/17/01 AM

157

170

180

181

3/17/01 PM

88

102

122

123

3/18/01 AM

131

140

144

178

3/18/01 PM

232

242

307

272

3/19/01 AM

192

209

278

209

Total

2475

2739

3012

2954

Average

137.5

152.2

167.3

164.1

A1c

7.6

8.5

9.3

9.1

Published 7 May 2001

Last Updated: Thursday August 29, 2002 21:02:12
This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional.